You're reading: Ukraina shopping mall director says he faces threats

Security guards today threatened the use of force against Rostyslav Levinzon, the newly appointed acting director of the $50 million Ukraina shopping mall, he told the Kyiv Post.

Levinzon’s lawyers at Magisters law firm said Levinzon was finally registered as the acting director of the shopping center by a government agency following months of legal wrangling that started in April for control over the lucrative commercial property.

Yet when he produced the important legal document, security denied him entry and threatened the use of force if he proceeded to enter the management office at Ukraina, said Levinzon.

“The situation is very flammable,” said Levinzon.

Levinzon was appointed Ukraina’s acting director at successive general shareholders meetings held in recent weeks initiated by Quinn Holdings Sweden, the 92.75 percent shareholder in Ukraina.

Yet several court injunctions annulled the appointment after each shareholder meeting because of suspicious court claims filed by several of the 4,000 minority shareholders. Magisters lawyers say these shareholders were duped into handing over power-of-attorney privileges to lawyers who promised to buy their shares and handle the transactions.

When the separate court injunctions were reversed, Levinzon registered with the government listing him as Ukraina’s acting director. The government listing effectively removed the former director, Larysa Yanez Puga, from her post.

The Kyiv Post was unable to reach Puga who has been on indefinite medical leave.

Police have repeatedly refused to open a criminal case saying there are insufficient grounds, said Levinzon.

“The police have acted very passively despite my filing a statement each of the more than 10 times I had been refused entry to the Ukraina management office,” said Levinzon.

Quinn Group, once belonging to Ireland’s former richest man, Sean Quinn, and his family controlled the shopping center through Quinn Holdings Sweden before becoming insolvent. The state-owned Irish Bank Resolution Corporation has been trying to recoup some $4 billion in alleged losses from Quinn Group, $675 million of which are international properties in Ukraine, Cyprus, Russia and Sweden.

However, Quinn filed for bankruptcy in a Northern Ireland court on Nov. 11.

The Irish Times newspaper has estimated that the Irish Bank is losing out on $10 million in lost annual rental income, the amount Ukraina made in 2010.

Levinzon recently hired the security firm that was removed by the former management two months ago to replace security at the mall.

According to Levinzon, there are two security guards, one from each firm, standing side-by-side at each fixed station in the mall. According to Levinzon, both security firms have promised to work peacefully together to avoid an escalation in the shopping center’s conflict.

Kyiv Post staff writer Mark Rachkevych can be reached at [email protected].